“With over 18,000 vehicles per day traveling along Main Street, safety and congestion mitigation are fundamental factors in establishing efficient traffic flow,” Justin Yoh, traffic engineer for ODOT’s District 7, said. “The rebuilding and upgrading of the traffic signals along this section of Main Street will allow for improvements that will contribute to improved safety and reduced congestion for motorists and pedestrians.”
The project begins at the intersection of Main Street and Waverly and Wampler Avenues and ends at the intersection of Main Street and Westbrook-Dog Leg Road.
The project includes Waverly and Wampler avenues, Castlewood Avenue, Nottingham Road, Turner Road and Shoup Mill Road, Markey Road, Philadelphia Drive, Shiloh Springs Road and Woodbury Drive. The project ends at the intersections of Westbrook and Dog Leg roads.
“These signals were beyond their useful function. They have been up for over 30-plus years,” said John Grasso,transportation engineer for ODOT’s District 7. “We’re putting in new street name signs and mast arm-style signal support.”
In addition to the new traffic signals, ODOT is also making the curbs at these intersections compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Construction started in April, and all the installations are expected to be completed by the end of this month.
“This project is funded primarily with federal dollars,” Yoh said.
The new signals will include cameras that will be used to monitor traffic for proper operation of the traffic signals.
“The cameras that are being installed at each of the new intersections are for vehicle detection only, with no recording capability,” Yoh said.
He added that additional cameras that are being installed at the intersections off Main Street near Turner and Shoup Mill roads and by Philadelphia Drive, and the cameras will be used by Ohgo.com and Buckeye Traffic. These cameras are similar to the ones on Interstate 75.
“ODOT and Harrison Twp. have a long history of collaboration on projects,” said Kris McClintick, Harrison Twp. administrator. “This project will not only improve traffic safety along North Main Street, it will also the enhance the aesthetics of the corridor.”
ODOT recently installed new traffic signals at the Austin Boulevard interchange and the Dixie Road interchange on I-75. Construction on a new traffic signal at the I-75 northbound ramp and Northwoods Boulevard in Vandalia is expected to begin this fall.
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